Can i use sand in my bearded dragon's tank??? or does that makes him sick?

Question

well i just bought a new bearded dragon, he's still little, and i made the tank dessert style...i used 1 bag of calcium sand and 1 bag of red sand... but now i heard that the sand could give him diseases and make him really sick... what would u prefer?? and a other question..is it ok to feed him wax worms with the crickets everyday??? or are the wax worms just a tease?? thanks for any help... :-)

Answer 1

Congrats on your new beardie. As for sand, it's risky because there's a chance that your lizard could get impaction. Impaction means if he accidental swallows the sand, enough of it could block his intestinal tract and make him very sick. What I would suggest is going to the hardware store with the measurements of your tank and install tiles at the bottom. That's what I did for my leopard geckos.  Plain old Newspaper is fine too. Some people put their trust in sand but like I said there is a risk.

A variety of insects is fine just remember that there diet also consists of vegetables as well. The insects should also be dusted with calcium and vitamin supplements.

Answer 2

i know you can get sand with vitimons in it so if it mises and gets some sand it will be ok, i use it in my lepord gecko cage.

Answer 3

hey here all the facts on substrates

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbie-ad...

Answer 4

Sand is not really recommended by responsible reptile keepers because there is a chance of impaction.  Babies in particular are clumsy eaters and will miss their crickets more often than catch them and end up eating a mouth full of sand.  Sand cannot be digested and will build up in the stomach and intestines and block them up.  This is fatal!  There are a lot of people who have gotten away with using sand and may not have had any problems (yet!).  The way I look at it, I know that sand CAN cause impaction, and I love my beardies, so I don't want to do anything to risk hurting them.  I use newspaper or paper towel in all of my reptile enclosures.  It may not be the prettiest, but it is the safest.  A lot of people will go on about beardies making beautiful display animals, and the newspaper will just make it ugly.  Well, if you want something that's just nice to look at, get a painting.  If you want a healthy happy pet, do what's best for it.  

   As for you feeding question, wax worms are all fat, so they should really be left as a treat only.  Stick with the crickets.  When your beardie gets older and starts eating more veggies than protien, you can start offering him the occasional wax, meal, or super worm.  

   Good luck with your beardie, and thanks for caring enough about him to try and do what's best for him.